1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to breechblock rifles and, specifically, to a lever-cocked single shot falling block rifle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of breechblock rifles are known in the prior art and are characterized according to the different type of action. The specific type of action is determined by the type of movement imparted to the breechblock as the breechblock moves into and out of engagement with the cartridge chamber of the receiver. Typical known actions include the swinging block action, the rolling block action and the falling block action.
A particularly well known falling block design is the Ruger No. 1 Falling Block Action which comprises a lever actuated single shot mechanism having a breechblock contained, spring biased firing pin mechanism. The Ruger No. 1 design is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,355,833. A description of other falling block actions can be found in the book "Single Shot Rifles and Actions", by F. deHass (1969).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a single shot falling block rifle having an action which is extremely simple and reliable in nature.
Another object of the invention is to provide a falling block action rifle having an accuracy approaching or equalling that of a bolt action rifle.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a falling block rifle with a novel rifle action of suitable dimension to allow the action to be incorporated within a single-piece stock without detracting from the existing lines and aesthetic appearance of the single piece stock.